The company wanted to donate a portion of sales to charity, and then quickly realized that folks who are struggling in this economy ARE the charity. So, they’re handing out a free bottle of Stimulus Soda to anyone who brings a copy of their pink slip to the company’s headquarters.

And if you buy a bottle at the store, there’s always that 5-cent refund. So everyone wins.

So, like any good investigative reporter, I tried it. (For the record, any journalist will eat just about anything put in front of them.)

Remember Sweet-Tarts? It's like someone dropped a few of those in a bottle of Sprite and then poured in the contents of a glow-stick for color. And I like both raspberry and pineapple flavoring. True to its name, it will make you forget your financial woes for a few.

As for the bubbly business, Metz says it’s not quite foaming over the top, but it hasn’t gone flat either.

“Fortunately, we’ve got a bunch of great, loyal customers,” Metz said. And, in this day and age, that’s pretty sweet.